Dispenser



Och 1, 1957 El. ROY J. KRAFT 2,807,941

DISPENSER Filed March 15, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l 57 2| l 23 Jv) 7 25 /50 3l l f -z: 29 5 3 I i 3o l2 36: ...H11-. x

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EL /Qoy c/ KRAFT ATTORNEYS Oct- 1, 1957 El. ROY J. KRAFT 2,807,941

DISPENSER Filed MaICh l5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 33 i-g-I-Zl l 26 NVENTOR. -L @0V if lee/:Fr

ATTO RN EYS United States Patent DISPENSER El Roy I. Kraft, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinols Application March 15, 1955, Serial No. 494,426

6 Claims. (Cl. 62-4) This invention relates to improvements `in dispensers for beverages and the like and more particularly relates to such dispensers in which a measured quantity of syrup is mixed with a proportionate quantity of carbonated water and in which the syrup and carbonated water are cooled before mixing.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a simplified form of beverage dispenser of a novel and elticient construction so arranged as to cool the carbonated water and syrup mechanically and to accommodate cool- 'ing with ice upon failure of mechanical cooling unit.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and e'icient cabinet and cooling unit for dispensers for beverages and the like, in which a cooling tank for syrup and carbonated walter is so arranged as to accommodate and support a mechanical refrigerating unit, and also to form a container for ice for cooling the syrup and carbonated water with ice upon failure of the refrigerating unit.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved form of unitary refrigerating unit so arranged that the compressor and cooling unit coils may be self-contained in an ice tank, and the condensor therefore may be supported on the outside of the tank.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a .detachable refrigerating unit and ice tank for detachably supporting the same, in which the ice tank forms a support for the unit and contains the compressor and its drive motor and cooling coils and supports the condensor coils to extend along the outside of the ice tank.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference Vto the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a transverse sectional View taken through the cabinet and ice tanktof a beverage dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line II-II of Figure l through the cabinet and ice tank of the dispenser shown in Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing the refrigerating unit in the process of removal from the dispenser, to accommodate the cooling of the syrup and carbonated water by ice.

ln the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown a cabinet having end walls 11, circular for a greater portion of the periphery thereof and having inwardly turned flanged portions 12 connected together by semi-cylindrical side walls 15 extending upwardly therealong for a portion of the periphery thereof.

The cabinet also has a at bottom 16, shown as being carried on a support 17 for supporting the dispenser on a counter, shelf or the like. Y A

The inturned flange portions 12 of the end walls 11 are shown as having slots 19 therein facing toward the center of the cabinet and having slidable generally semicylindrical cover members 21 slidably mounted thereon ice and affording a means of access to the interior ofthe cabinet for placing syrup in a syrup can 22, placing a refrigerating unit 23 within the cabinet, or removing the refrigerating unit therefrom and for placing ice in an ice tank 25 upon removal of the refrigerating unit from said cabinet.

The ice tank 25 is of a generally rectangular form in plan and has a relatively flat bottom 26, front and rear walls 27 having outturned flanges 29 extending over and supported or inturned flanges 30 of 'the side walls 15. The ice tank 25 also has side walls 31 spaced inwardly of the end walls 11 and having flanges 32 extending outwardly therefrom and forming a detachable support for the refrigerating unit 23, as will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The anges 32 rest on and are supported on inwardly turned anges 45 of support walls 46 extending upwardly from the base of the cabinet 10.

The entire ice tank and walls 46 are spaced a 'substantial distance inwardly from the side walls 15 and bottom 16 of thecabinet. The spaces outside of the walls 46 are adapted to receive condensers 47 and provide air circulating chambers therefor. The ice tank 25 is insulated by a suitable insulating material indicated by reference' character 33 and extending along the bottom thereof and along the side and end walls thereof.

The syrup can 22 is shown as being supported within the ice tank 31 adjacent one end thereof on the upper end -of a housing 34 for a dispensing valve (not shown), extending through *the bottom 26 of the ice tank 25 and through the bottom 16 of the cabinet 10 and having a spout 35 leading downwardly therefrom.

The dispenser housing 34 and spout 35 and valve therefor (not shown) may be like those shown in my copending application Serial No. 254,865, led November 5, 1951, now Patent No. 2,751,254, and entitled Measured Quantity Beverage Dispenser, and are no part of my present invention so need only herein' be shown and described in sucient' detail Vto make my present invention readily understandable. Y

The dispensing valve is operated to dispense syrup from the syrup can 22 and mix carbonated water therewith by operation of a hand lever 36 pivoted at its inner end on a transverse pivot pin'37 supported at its ends in bracket members 39 depending from the bottom 16-of the cabinet 10. The hand lever 36 is of a bifurcated form and extends along opposite sides of the spout 35 and is pivotally connected thereto -as by trunion pins 40, extending outwardly from opposite sides of the spout 35. The lever arm 36 thus serves t-o depress the spout 35 when it is desired to dispense a mixed drink, and to raise said spout to shut off the ow of the mixed drink therefrom as in my aforementioned copending application Serial No. 254,865. I

Resting on the bottom of the ice tank 25 is a cooling plate 41 having a passageway for Water leading therealong, which may be connected with a source of water or carbonated water and which is connected at its discharge end with thedispenser housing 34 through a passageway member 43 leading beneath the bottom 26 of the ice tank 25. The passageway member 43 may have a resilient iiow control therein (not shown) to supply a unf-orm volume of carbonated water to the `dispenser 34 regardless of variations in pressure of water at the source.

It may here be seen that when the refrigerating unit 23 is removed from the ice tank 25, that ice maybe placed therein to cool the syrup in the syrup can 22 and carbonated water in the cooling plate 41. v

The refrigerating unit 23 is carried in a deep tray 50 slidably supported within the ice tank 25 and having a tiat bottom 51 rhaving insulating materialy 52 extending along the bottom thereof and upwardly along the end thereof adjacent the syrup can 22. The tray 50v also has parallel spaced side walls 53 extending upwardly from the bottom 51 in parallel spaced relation with respect to the side walls: 3.1 of the ice tank and' spaced closely adjacent said` side walls. The side walls. 53 of the tray 50 have outwardly anged. upper end portions 54 having resilient blocks 55 extending along the under-surface thereof and forming a support for they tray 50. and refrigerating unit 23 on the tlanges 32 of the ice tank 25.

Supported within the tray 50 between the side walls 53 is` asealed container 57l for a. compressor and drive motor therefor (not shown).` The compressor its drive motor and container 57 may be of any well known form and are no part of my present invention so. need not herein. be shown or described in detail.

Leading from the container 57 and connected with the pressure side of the compressory contained therein, is a refrigerant tube 59 connected with one condenser 47. The condensers 47 are of the so-called static type of air cooled condensers and are `connected together by tubes 60 extending across the container 57, and partially supporting the' condensers thereon. The condensers 47 are likewise provided with cooling tins 61 extending along the coils thereof, the inner tins of which have support flanges 63 extending inwardly therefrom and resting on the tops of the flanges 54. p

Leading from the condenser 47, which is shown in Figures 2` and- 3 as being the right hand condenser, is a capillary tube 64A connected with the intake end of an evapator or cooling coil 65. The cooling coil 65 is shown as being secured to the bottom 51 `of the tray 50 and depending therefrom within circulating water in the bottom portion of the ice tank 25. The cooling coils 65 are connected with the suction end of the compressor (not shown) through a tube 66 leading within the container 57 and suitably connected with the compresosr (not shown).

An ice bank control 69 is shown as being disposed beneath the cooling coil 65 and may be submerged in water contained in the ice tank 25. The ice bank control includes a bulb 70- and serves to start and stop the refrigerating cycle in response to the freezing of a liquid in the bulb 70. The bulb 70 is connected with a control box 71 on the container 57 through a tube 73. The control box 71 isA shown as being mounted on the container 57 adjacent one side thereof. The ice bank control 69 maybe of any well known form and is no part of my present invention so need not herein be shown or described further.

The tray 50 also forms a support for a stirrer 75 on the end of a rotatably driven shaft 76 extending downwardly through the bottom 51 of said tray. The shaft 76 and the stirrer 75 are driven from a motor 77 mounted on the bottom of the tray 50. The stirrerV 75 serves to keep the water in the bottom of the ice tank 25 in circulation to uniformly cool the syrup and carbonated water in the cooling plate 41, and prevent freezing of the water in the bottom of the ice tank as well as freezing of the carbonated water in `the cooling plate 41.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the entire refrigerating unit is carried in the tray 50 and that the compressor and its driving motor are within the tray and insulated from the space in the ice tank beneath the tray, while the cooling coils are supported to depend from the tray into the cooling water in the ice tank, and the condenser coils are supported entirely outside of the ice tank and are insulated therefrom and are so located as to be exposed to the free air within the cabinet 20. It may further be seen that the entire unit may readily be lifted from the ice tank 25 and' replaced therein, and that when removed from the ice tank that ice may be substituted for the refrigerating unit.

It will be understood that modifications andvariations may be eected in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel' concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dispenser for mixing and dispensing cool beverages and the like, a cabinet, an ice tank within said cabinet and spaced inwardly from the walls thereof, a can for syrup in said ice tank, a dispensing and mixing valve leading from said can to a location outside of the ice tank, a cooling plate for carbonated water on the bottom of said ice tank and connected with said dispensing valve, and a refrigerating unit removably mounted in said ice tank and having a cooling coil disposed adjacent the bottom thereof and compressing means disposed within said ice tank and spaced above the bottom thereof and accommodating removal of said refrigerating unit and cooling of the syrup andV carbonated water by ice when desired.

2. In a dispenser for mixing and dispensing cool beverages and the like, a cabinet, a tank for ice in said cabinet spaced inwardly from the walls thereof, a syrup can in said ice tank, a cooling plate for carbonated water on the bottom of said tank, mixing and dispensing means leading from said syrup can to a location outside of said tank and connected with said cooling plate for dispensing syrup from said syrup can and proportioning carbonated water therewith, and a refrigerating unit re movably mounted in said ice tank and having cooling coils supported above the bottom of said ice tank, cornpressing means supported within said ice tank, and condensing means supported along the outer sides of said ice tank, for the free circulation of air there through, and accommodating ready removal of said refrigerating unit from said ice tank to cool the syrup and proportioning water by ice when desired.

3. In a dispenser for mixing and dispensing cool beverages, a cabinet, a tank for ice within said cabinet and spaced inwardly from the walls thereof, a syrup can in said ice tank, `a cooling plate for proportioning water in the bottom of said tank, a dispensing valve and spout leading from said syrup can, a fluid connection from said cooling plate to said dispensing valve and spout, and a tray having a bottom and parallel spaced side walls detachably carried in said ice tank and supported on the tops of the walls thereof, said tray carrying compressing means between the walls thereof and having a cooling means depending from the bottom thereof and condensing means spaced from the walls thereof to tit along the outsides of the walls of said ice tank, and accommodating removal of the refrigerating unit from said ice tank without dismantling the same, whereby ice may be placed in saidv ice tank to cool the proportioning water and syrup therein.

4. In a dispenser for proportioning and dispensing cool beverages and the like, a cabinet having an ice tank therein spaced from the walls thereof and insulated from said cabinet, a can for syrup in said ice tank, a cooling plate for proportioning water in the bottom of said tank, a dispensing valve and spout leading from said syrup can, and a fluid connection from said cooling plate to said dispensing spout, a tray having a flat bottom and parallel spaced side walls having flanges extending outwardly from the upper ends thereof, and removably supported within said ice tank on said flanges, and a refrigerating unit wholly carried by said tray and comprising compressing means carried within said tray between the side walls thereof, cooling means depending from the bottom of said tray, and condensing means spaced outwardly from the side walls of said tray to extend along the side walls of said ice tank when said tray is in position therein, whereby the entire refrigerating unit may be removed from or placed within said ice tank and refrigeration may be attained by means of ice, upon removal of said refrigerating unit from said ice tank.

5. In a dispenser for proportioning and dispensing cool beverages and the like, a cabinet having an ice tank therein spaced from the walls thereof and insulated from said cabinet, a cam for syrup in said ice tank, a cooling plate for porportioning water in the bottom of said tank, a.

dispensing valve and spout leading from said syrup can, and a iluid connection from said cooling plate to said dispensing spout, a tray having a flat bottom and parallel spaced side walls having flanges extending outwardly from the upper ends thereof, and removably supported within said ice tank on said flanges, a refrigerating unit Wholly carried by said tray and comprising compressing means carried within said tray between side walls thereof, cooling means depending from the bottom of said tray, and condensing means spaced outwardly from the side walls of said tray to extend along the side walls of said ice tank when said tray is in position therein, whereby the entire refrigerating unit may be removed from or placed within said ice tank and refrigeration may be attained by means of ice, upon removal of said refrigerating unit from said ice tank, and said cabinet having slidable cover sections extending over the top thereof and slidably movable to open the top thereof and accommodating ready remova-l of said refrigerating unit therefrom.

6. In a unitary refrigerating unit for beverage dis-A pensers and the like, a deep tray having a bottom, parallel spaced side walls and flanges extending outwardly from the upper ends thereof, and adapted to form a support means for said tray in an ice tank or like device, compressing means carried within said tray between the side walls thereof, a stirrer for water carried by said tray and depending therefrom, 'evaporating and cooling means supported by said tray and depending therefrom, condensing means extending along opposite side walls of said tnay in spaced relation with respect thereto and connected with said compressing means and said evaporating means,

and control means for said compressing means dependingA from the bottom of said tray in the region of said evaporating and cooling means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,018,139 Lipman Oct. 22,1935 2,508,289 Peck May 16, 1950 2,554,638 Riedel May 29, 1951 2,608,837 Leland Sept. 2, 1952 

